McCain's Response to Obama's Position on Gas Tax Holiday

Below see our campaign's response to Senator Barack Obama's event in Winston-Salem, N.C. today:

“Barack Obama doesn't understand the effect of high gas prices on the American economy.  Senator Obama voted for a gas tax reduction before he opposed it, he has no plan for relief from record-high gas prices for Americans this summer, and he's the empty-tank candidate in this race.” ---Tucker Bounds, spokesman John McCain 2008

In March 2000, Obama Voted For The Temporary Elimination Of The State Sales Tax On Gas:

Obama Voted To Suspend The State Sales Tax On Gasoline. (S.B. 1310: Senate Third Floor Reading, Passed, 50-0-6, 3/8/00, Obama Voted Yea)

The State Of Illinois Suspended Its Five Percent Sales Tax On Gasoline. “After a whirlwind legislative session, Gov. Ryan signed legislation Thursday that suspends the state's 5 percent sales tax on gasoline. If that is passed on to consumers, fuel prices would drop by about a dime per gallon.” (Dave McKinney and Fran Spielman, “Ryan Signs Suspension Of Gas Tax,” Chicago Sun-Times, 6/30/00)
Obama Said He Supported The Gas Tax Suspension Due To The “Huge Hike” In Gas Prices. Obama: “I originally voted for the suspension because I thought that it was extraordinary circumstances, given the huge hike in prices, but I don't think that we have the evidence yet to make this a permanent three-hundred- or four-hundred-million-dollar hole in the General Revenue Fund.” (Sen. Barack Obama, State Of Illinois 91st General Assembly Regular Session Senate Transcript, 11/15/00, www.ilga.gov <http://www.ilga.gov/senate/transcripts/strans91/ST111500.pdf> , pp. 51-52)

McCain's Proposed Gas Tax Holiday Would NOT Effect Highway Trust Fund or On-Going Road Projects:

“MAINTENANCE OF TRUST FUND DEPOSITS- In determining the amounts to be appropriated to the Highway Trust Fund under section 9503 and to the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund under 9508, an amount equal to the reduction in revenues to the Treasury by reason of this subsection shall be treated as taxes received in the Treasury under this section or section 4041.” (S. 2890, Introduced 4/17/08)